Over the Hills and Far Away
by AcrossTheSkyInStars
Summary: Jo is a young huntress trying to find her place in the world of the supernatural. Fighting alongside her brother, Ash, is where she feels safest. She loses her footing on a job and trips into something she never thought possible.


**FAGE 10: Reborn**

 **Title:** Over the Hills and Far Away

 **Written for:** cloemarrie

 **Written By:** AcrossTheSkyInStars

 **Rating:** M

 **Summary/Prompt used:** Don't think about what can happen in a month. Don't think about what can happen in a year. Just focus on the 24 hours in front of you and do what you can to get closer to where you want to be

 **If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group:** **Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps, or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox.**

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A/N: So...first time writing a TRUE Supernatural fic! Had a lot of fun with this one, actually. And I'm always happy to participate in these little writing exchanges. Keeps me writing and creative. I stayed close to SPN and let Led Zeppelin inspire me. Listened to them a lot while writing ;)

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my beautiful, FANTASTIC beta, Claire Bloom, for always being there when I need her and keeping my writing at its best. I admire you and adore you. If you're looking for a little something to read, I'd recommend anything she's written ;)

As amazing as it would be, **I do NOT own** any of the lovely characters in the world of Supernatural - that all belongs to Eric Kripke.

For my recipient, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"The sea was red and the sky was grey

Wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today

The mountains and the canyons started to tremble and shake

As the children of the sun began to awake

Seems that the wrath of the Gods

Got a punch on the nose and it started to flow;

I think I might be sinking

Throw me a line if I reach it in time

I'll meet you up there where the path

Runs straight and high"

 **\- Led Zeppelin:** Going to California

* * *

 **JoPov**

I crept along the wall, light on my feet, as silent as possible. My breathing was slow, shallow, my eyes wide and alert. I could feel Ash behind me, stealth and quiet, as controlled as I was. We moved together perfectly, weapons drawn and senses heightened; predators approaching their prey.

Hunters approaching the hunted.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned, catching Ash's gaze.

 _Go left,_ he mouthed.

I replied with a quick nod and kept tight to the wall as it curved. Ash pulled away, drawing close to the opposite wall on the right. Sharp, bright moonlight poured in through the alleyway, casting shadows of the stacked boxes and debris tucked against the cold concrete. I stepped softly as I continued, moving with purpose to avoid the milk crates jutting out and the puddles left from the recent rainfall.

Ash was a step ahead of me, his grip steady on the machete he had chosen, movements careful and calculated, too. I, myself, had chosen to use my favourite knife; handle engraved with Dad's initials, pressed steel gleaming in the moonlight, and blade freshly sharpened…

Dripping in Dead Man's Blood.

Laughter from the vampires we had tracked filtered down the alley, raucous and piercing in the night. The noise grew with each step I took, slanderous and grating, reminding me again why we did what we did. It was tough sometimes to see the silver lining of the job, to keep going when everything seemed to be stacked against us, but times like these helped. Listening to them, to the way they talked about the hunt and the kill, the bloodlust and feeding, the rush it gave them…it reminded me how much evil was truly out there.

And how satisfying it was to know I was the one out there putting a stop to the things that went bump in the night.

I paused very suddenly a ways back from the mouth of the alley, my eyes darting to Ash, watching while he did the same. I listened carefully, stone sober and silent, seeing the hardened edge in Ash's gaze.

He'd heard it, too.

They still had human prisoners.

Ash took off sprinting, machete sharp and quick at his side. I bolted after him, shouting as I rounded the corner and skidded into the back of the alley. Ash was already swinging, severing a head as I lifted my blade just in time to bury it in the chest of one of the vampires. She gasped loudly, feeling the poison infecting her heart and rushing through her dead veins. Her lips were still wet with fresh blood, gaping in a silent scream.

Seconds later a blade took her head clean off in front of me, sliding easily from her shoulders. The rest of her body slipped to the ground lifelessly, revealing Ash behind her; blood spatter criss-crossing his clothes, breathing heavy, machete still lifted, ready, coated thickly with the blood of his victims.

"Well that's one way to go in," I scolded, motioning with my knife to the three dead vampires, "guns blazing. Good to know for next time."

Ash rolled his eyes at me, stowing the bloodied machete in its holster at his side.

"Got the job done, didn't it?" he countered. "And these two lived to tell the tale."

Ash turned to the couple slumped against the wall of the alley, huddled together beside a pair of recycling bins. Their wrists and ankles were bound tightly, their throats torn and bloody. The man's eyes darted between Ash and I, wide and terrified, and the woman beside him was unconscious.

"Is she still alive?" Ash asked the man, kneeling down to search for a pulse through the blood at the base of her jaw.

"I just…think she lost a lot of blood," he told Ash in a shaky voice, "hospital."

I smiled sadly as I bent down to help Ash cut away the ropes that bound the poor couple.

We'd saved them.

 _Us._

 _._

 _._

"I cannot believe you two!" Mom shouted, slamming the register closed forcefully and turning on Ash and I. "Another hunt, Ash, really? Of all the idiotic, careless, bone-headed things you've done in your life, this one takes it, and after I _asked_ you two to drop it. To act like a couple of normal kids. Stupid me figured you'd actually give it a shot."

One of the hunters a few seats down from us stifled a laugh, and Ash sighed, "Yeah, yeah. Can it, Singer. You're the one who helped us find the vamps in the first place. Don't go playing all innocent on this one."

Bobby Singer tilted his head back in regret when Mom all but shot him in the chest and ripped out his insides for helping us out on our last case. He closed his eyes tightly, avoiding her gaze while she tore him a new…well, everything. He opened one eye wearily after a few minutes, meeting what I liked to call _The Death Stare._

"Ellen, I'm sorry," Bobby told her quietly. He glanced down the bar toward Ash and I, shaking his head before he took a sip of his beer. "I know they're _your_ kids but…they're old enough. Hell they're freaking adults now, for crying out loud. They know what they want, and they know they want to hunt. Is that such a bad thing?"

She picked up a clean glass from the dishwasher and fumed as she poured a drink for one of the tables. A couple of customers had shifted their attention from the argument when it had begun, and a couple of them had been eavesdropping openly. Since Mom was the owner of the quaint little establishment here in Nebraska she liked to call _Harvelle's Roadhouse,_ everyone knew her and, subsequently, us.

What that also meant was absolutely _everyone_ knew our business.

"You know what, Bobby, maybe for me it _is_ such a bad thing," Mom finally replied. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe it was my living nightmare? Watching my kids galavant off to fight the same atrocities that killed their Daddy?"

Mom sighed in unease, putting a shaky hand to her lips.

"Mom, look…I'm sorry," I told her sincerely, frowning at how upset it had made her. "I honestly didn't think it would get to you this much." She turned her head, meeting my gaze. "I love you, Ash and I both do, but we're so good at this. And we _love_ this."

"Seriously, Mom, we rock it," Ash backed me up, "big time. We're smart and we're careful, and with Bobby's help it was easy as pie."

She took a few long, deep breaths, picking up another glass to dry with a cloth.

"I'm sorry I lied to you," Bobby offered, flashing her a sweet, crooked smile, "but your children…well, they're stubborn as you are, woman. And determined as all hell." He tossed back the rest of his drink. "And as much as I promised I wouldn't lend a hand, there was no way I could let them go in blind and get their asses handed to them by a bunch of vamps."

Mom laughed humourlessly. "Well, good to know I have you to count on in my stance against all this."

Bobby exhaled in defeat, pushing his chair away from the bar to stand. He shuffled a few steps down, closer to Mom, and leaned across the darkened wood between them, placing his hand over hers where she rested it.

"You know you can always count on me, Ellen," he assured, "always. But as much as you might hate what they're doing, I can't stop them all by my lonesome. I'm not sure you can, either. So…I figure, may as well help them. I don't expect you to like it, I don't like it much myself." Bobby cut his eyes toward Ash and I before looking back at Mom. "I'll help the best I know how…keep them as safe as they can be."

Mom was quiet, lips pursed. Bobby gave her hand a squeeze and shot her a sad smile before turning toward us. He clapped Ash on the back - a little too hard, it seemed - and leaned over to kiss me lightly on the forehead, his scruffy beard tickling my temple. He whispered a small goodbye and he was gone, leaving the three of us in painful silence.

Scary silence, with Mom being so pissed.

After what felt like the longest minute of my life, Ash cleared his throat.

"Mom, if you-"

"Enough, Ash," Mom interjected, "I'm done. You two just…go away, please. I need time to think about all of this."

She left suddenly, tending to one of the hunters at the other end of the bar. I watched her dismally, disheartened at how things had turned out this time. It had been about the fifth hunt Ash and I had been on alone, and while I understood her reservations, I also knew how innately and unbelievably _incredible_ Ash and I were on the job together; how ingrained it was in our blood. Mom didn't understand the way someone like Bobby did…the way Dad would have.

All she saw was blood and pain and death.

Ash and I saw a family legacy, something we _needed_ to do. It gave us a sense of purpose, of doing good in the world when most times the world seemed to be drowning in the bad and the ugly and the horrible.

I only wish Mom would give us the chance to be part of that legacy.

Ash tapped my knee with his, turning slightly on his stool.

"Well, that was brutal," he remarked, brows raised. "I think I would have preferred a swift punch to the face if I'm being honest."

I chuckled, admitting, "It probably would have been the painless option, that's for sure, but you had to know she wouldn't let us off that easy, Ash." I tilted my head, watching Mom down the bar while she worked. She seemed so…broken, defeated. She attempted a meagre half-smile at Rufus, the hunter she had been serving, but it was gone as quickly as it had surfaced.

I sighed, frowning at Ash.

I hated seeing her so upset.

"Why do you look like you just found out monsters aren't real?" he asked.

As dismayed as I was, I couldn't help but snicker at his sarcasm. "Just look at her," I told him with a nod of my head, "she's devastated. Dejected." Mom caught my eye for a split-second, saying so much in a single look, but quickly looked away. I cast my eyes down to the coaster I had been tearing apart, murmuring, "I'm not sure she'll ever get it, Ash. I don't think she'll ever be okay with us doing this. What if she hates it so much that we never get to really do all this…for _real._ "

He shrugged, standing up into a stretch. "Stop thinking so far ahead about all of this. We'll get there. And I get that she doesn't like it one bit, but as far as I'm concerned, this is what I do." He pushed in his stool, and bent swiftly to lean on the back of it, arms crossed. "This is what we're good at, Jo. She'll come around, believe me. She just needs time."

The coaster between my fingers had become confetti, small pieces sprinkled across the bar in front of me.

"I hope you're right," I replied solemnly.

.

.

Six Days Later

"Okay, I got it," Ash said for what felt like the hundredth time, "yes, call you when we get there. Call you ten minutes later, then ten minutes after that. How about we just keep you on speaker phone the entire time?"

Mom rolled her eyes, a stern look set on Ash as she leaned against the door of our old Chevy parked in front of _Harvelle's._ We'd been arguing for the better part of a half hour, pleading with Mom to let us set out on another hunt. We'd explained the entire plan to her, making sure she knew what we were doing to avoid another epic catastrophe when we returned. She'd stubbornly attached herself to the car, unwilling to move without every last detail.

"Smart mouth," Mom replied, "just like your Daddy."

She combed her hair away from her face, long, dark, and curly, and stood finally, offering Ash and I the first real smile I'd seen from her in days. I smiled back at her, a true beaming smile, and lunged forward to hug her tightly. She hugged me back fiercely, enveloping me in her arms. She smelled like home…like her vanilla scented shampoo and the peach pies she had been baking earlier in the day.

"Thank you," I whispered to her, "I love you. We'll be safe, I promise." She pulled back, her eyes glazed over with tears. The radiant sun highlighted her face perfectly, glinting off the tiny beads trickling down her cheeks. "I'd tell you not to worry, but…well, I know that's not going to happen."

She chucked softly, shaking her head. "Not one bit."

She released me and stepped away to pull Ash into a hug. I bent swiftly, picking up my duffle bag, and tossed it into the back seat, then gently set the weapons bag onto the floor between the seats; careful to tuck it down as far as I could to keep it out of view.

"Got the blood, yeah?" Ash asked, opening the door to the driver's seat.

I nodded, closing the door and heading around to the passenger's seat. "Yep," I replied confidently, "packed in with the weapons."

"Alright, baby sis, another nest of vamps," Ash said with a wicked smile as we climbed into the car, "let's chop some heads."

I smiled back, watching Mom from the side mirror as she stood on the porch of _Harvelle's_ , waving to us while we set out on the road for a nest of vampires in Colorado.

.

.

After a four hour drive full of excitement and car karaoke, Ash and I pulled into the lot of a crappy motel in Colorado around dusk. We paid for the night and headed to our room with our bags, dropping them promptly and setting out to work. Ash rolled out the map we had on the dingy desk beside his bed, marking down points he thought were useful based on some of the research we'd done before we left.

"Bodies found…here," he said, placing a dot with a red marker, "and here…and here." I headed over to help him, flipping through some papers I had. "One more, right?"

I nodded, taking the marker from him to jot down the location of another body that had been found. The fourth one in as many days.

"And the girl that's missing - Isabella - she lives there," I reminded him, pointing to a house that was roughly in the middle of the diamond shape the locations of the bodies had made. I sighed, "Well, there are a few places they could be. A couple of warehouses on the outskirts of town, and a couple of abandoned buildings inside the area we've mapped out."

Ash shrugged. "Well, gotta start somewhere. Wanna start in and work our way out?"

I rolled up the map, smirking. "Absolutely. And hey," I told him, rifling through one of the bags for my knife, "don't forget to call Mom."

I looked at him over my shoulder, catching his eye roll while he pulled out his phone.

.

.

"Nada," Ash called from the second floor, looking over the rail to me, "clear."

I swept my flashlight across the corner of the room, casting it over old and unused office equipment. There had been no sign of the vampires at all, only what had been left by the company when it had gone under; desks, chairs, supplies, and most of all…cobwebs. We clearly weren't in the right place, and this had been the third wrong place we'd checked.

"Same here," I called up to Ash. "Christ. This is going to take us days to find em."

Ash quickly descended the stairs, jumping the last few steps. "Oh it will not," he countered, "we'll find them. How about one more for the night and we'll pick it back up tomorrow?"

I consented with a small nod and we took off, leaving the abandoned building to head out to the edge of town. We pulled up to a sizeable warehouse, the one closest to where the first victim had been found, and parked near a grouping of trees. A couple of cars were parked along the street, and a few were still in the lot of the warehouse, dark and silent. Ash and I armed as quickly and quietly as we could before we locked the doors to the car and began our trek into the warehouse.

The second we stepped inside, I could hear them.

Or…someone.

Something.

"Jackpot," Ash whispered with a grin.

Butterflies assaulted my stomach suddenly, and I smiled back, loving the exhilarating feeling coursing through me. This is what we did…what we were good at. Taking out the bad guys. Hunting down evil.

I flicked on my flashlight when Ash turned on his, passing it over the wide open space in front of us. The room ended after a few hundred feet, filled tightly with rows of shelves and stacked crates, all capped by a tall ceiling. We could hear muted voices through the walls, the sound extending from elsewhere and making it to us as we swept the room. The noise grew and faded, finally becoming clearer the closer we edged toward the opposite side of the shelving units.

A large set of double doors was at the end of the room, opening easily when we pressed against them. I carefully stepped through behind Ash, veering left while he took the right. The flashlight illuminated the corridor as far as I could see, revealing nothing but a long hallway dotted with doors. I glanced back in Ash's direction, jogging a few steps toward him when he nodded for me to follow.

"I can hear them this way," he explained in a hushed tone, "and watch your step." I looked down, seeing the odd box or chair tucked along the wall of the hallway. "Place isn't very well maintained, if you ask me," Ash said sarcastically, "chairs everywhere…vampires running around. What a nightmare."

I hummed in agreement and tread lightly next to Ash, gripping my knife tightly in one hand and my flashlight in the other. Voices grew steadily louder the further we travelled, guiding us around a corner and into another long hallway. After a couple more steps, Ash stopped, holding up his hand. He darted his flashlight between two doors on opposite walls, settling finally on the one on the left.

When Ash took to the left, I stayed right, passing him while he pushed against a door that was already slightly ajar. It opened suddenly, a flurry of movement, and I jumped back, stumbling over one of the stupid boxes that had been stacked against the wall. I fell hard, tumbling to the ground in another pair of arms that sent me scrambling.

Someone was behind me.

My knife went one direction, my flashlight in another, and I panicked. I twisted hard, unease tearing through me as my chest heaved quickly and sporadically, pushing against a pair of arms that held me too tightly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" The quiet appease rang right against my ear, causing me to turn aggressively. I wriggled as much as I could, my body shifting enough for me to come nose-to-nose with the man behind me.

The closeness was consuming.

His eyes…intense.

Beautiful.

"I won't hurt you," he assured, nodding slightly, "but you have to calm down."

He allowed me to turn fully and I settled after a few seconds, feeling one of his hands on my hip. My breathing was still heavy and my stomach wonderfully twisted in knots the longer I studied his face. He was remarkably attractive, with a strong jaw line, a handsome smile, and eyes that drew me in completely. Dull light passed over his face, accentuating the bright green irises that stared back at me.

"Uh…sorry," I murmured, finally pressing myself up and away from him. He detached his hands from my waist, sitting with me and easily transferring to his knees. Bright, white light followed and focused on us, settling on the hand he offered me.

I heard a throat clear behind me, and took his hand quickly, standing and turning in embarrassment. I glanced through the light toward Ash who was standing with another man. He was taller than Ash, with shaggy, dark hair and a cute smile, brandishing a weapon as we were. He was fairly handsome, laughing at the predicament he saw before him.

"Kinda fell ass backwards there, Jo?" Ash asked.

I cast my eyes to the ground, easily finding my knife and flashlight. "Maybe," I replied, feeling an insane amount of heat in my cheeks. I collected the things I had dropped, attempting to regain some sort of dignity and most likely failing entirely. "Thanks for the help," I added, making eye contact with the man who had caught me, "I'm pretty sure I woke the dead with that one."

He chuckled, an adorable little noise that coaxed a small smile from me, too. He was much more attractive than the other man, with hair that was cropped short and easily styled, sporting a jacket that defined his strong shoulders. It hit me suddenly where I was, that I was on a hunt, and vampires were almost definitely lurking around the corner…

But for the life of me, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

"Watch out," he replied softly, motioning in a circle with the knife he had, "I'm sure the dead are up and walking around here somewhere."

I laughed quietly, registering faintly that Ash had said my name. I was _still_ looking at him, my gaze flickering between his beautiful eyes and his curved lips.

"Jo, we gotta go," Ash continued, catching my attention this time. He poked me on the arm with his flashlight, drawing my gaze away from the man. "I'm sure they heard us by now. We're blowing this big time." Ash motioned to the guy beside him, "This is Sam…they're hunters, too. I figure the four of us can take em out no problem."

"Right," I replied with a nod, "yeah. Okay. Vampires. Have you two been hunting long?" I glanced back and forth between Sam and the beautiful man who had caught me, settling on him for an answer.

"Dean," he told me with a quirky smirk and subtle wave, "and yeah…Sammy and I have been hunting since I can remember. Runs in the family."

"Same," Ash and I said in tandem. I flashed him a quick smile and turned back to Dean. "We can split up?" I asked, pausing a beat too long on his pretty eyes. They crinkled slightly at the corners with his smile, adding even more character to his strong features. I raised my brows, tearing my gaze away from Dean to look between Sam and Ash, reasoning, "We'll cover more ground that way."

Sam nodded, shrugging. "Works for us. Ash and I can head North if you and Dean wanna head South."

Sam exchanged a look with Dean, something I couldn't quite decipher, and I did the same with Ash. His brows were furrowed only the tiniest bit, but his eyes were worried. We rarely split up when we hunted, and when we did, we were never far from one another. Within shouting distance. We were both more than decent hunters - better and even more fantastic together - but he was family.

My big brother.

My blood.

Someone I trusted with my life entirely.

Ash tilted his head, knowing we were both thinking the same thing with that one look.

He responded hesitantly, but agreed with Sam, "Sure. You have your phone on you, yeah?" He asked me, stepping closer, lightly touching my arm. "Knife…blood?"

The worry seeped off him.

"Yeah, got it," I told him, stepping quickly into a hug, "I'll be safe, promise."

Ash hugged me tightly, murmuring the same in my ear.

.

.

All in all, the hunt had been going smoother than I expected after my clumsy tumble into embarrassment. Dean and I worked remarkably well together, communicating silently when we needed to and moving in sync almost as well as Ash and I did. He was quick and quiet, stepping gracefully, his own flashlight and machete poised perfectly as we swept cautiously through each room we entered.

When we finally snuck up on the vampires and their human prisoner - the missing girl - Dean was focused and ready. Five vamps flanked the room, snarling, teeth bared, as we came through a darkened doorway. I saw a flashlight flick off suddenly from the other side of the room, assuming we'd found the vamps just as Ash and Sam had.

The girl they'd kidnapped was bound in the middle of the room, head down, dark hair covering her face, arms strung up above her. Her feet dangled carelessly, the toes of her shoes just barely touching the concrete floor. I ran to her, dodging low beneath an attacking vampire while Dean stayed high, swinging his machete. I heard the bloody gurgle as the vampire lost its head, and slowed when I reached the unconscious victim they had tied to a post so haphazardly.

"Jo!"

Ash's voice rang through the room, and I turned anxiously, stepping back awkwardly to avoid a chunk being taken out of my shoulder. I crashed to the ground with one of the vampires who had lunged at me, my elbow hitting hard against the cold, solid floor. I cried out in pain, rolling in spite of the likely broken bone to trap the vampire beneath me. I swiftly jabbed my knife into the side of its throat - coated thickly with Dead Man's Blood - and watched the eyes of the rabid animal widen in astonishment.

I sat up while the poison spread, breathing laboriously, and roughly pulled my knife from the base of the vampire's jugular. Seconds later, Dean slid in beside me, detaching the vampire's head from its body.

My elbow throbbed and my vision was hazy, but Dean was cognizant enough for the both of us. He gingerly helped me to my feet, arm snug around my waist, and whispered sweetly in my ear that everything was going to be okay. I sighed, resting my head against his shoulder, and watched while Sam carefully released the girl from her bonds a few steps away.

Ash sidled up beside me, hesitantly touching my tender elbow.

"Mom is going to kill me," he groaned, "Christ. Do you think it's broken?"

I nodded. "Definitely feels like it." Dean's hand tightened on my waist, and I glanced up at him, welcoming the gentle affection. "Thank you," I told him softly, "for being there for me."

Dean smiled, pulling me closer to him while Sam and Ash began burning the bodies of the vampires.

.

.

Three Days Later

"How's that elbow, sweetheart?" Bobby asked.

I swallowed my bite of steak and mushroom pie - one of Mom's homemade specialties - and glanced up at him. After the vampires had been taken care of, the boys were quick to get Isabella and I to a hospital as fast as possible. She had sustained a few broken bones herself - as well as massive blood loss - but luckily doctors said she would live to see another day.

Absolutely and completely amazing.

Even though I had broken a bone and fractured another in my arm, all I heard was that the girl would live. It was good enough for me. Everything else was manageable as far as I was concerned. We'd taken out the vamps and saved the girl.

A job well done.

"Much better," I answered Bobby with a chuckle, "thanks for asking. A little bit bruised and sore, but better every day." My arm was still in a sling to keep it stable, posing more problems than I thought considering I had less than conveniently broken my dominant arm. "Just awkward because I'm right-handed," I laughed.

Bobby grinned, sliding onto the bar stool next to me. "I hear that," he said with a nod, "broken so many bones I've lost count. The way I see it…as long as the job gets done, it's worth it." I swallowed another bite of pie, nodding in agreement. "You kids did good," Bobby assured, "real good. Yeah, yeah…your mom's not happy you broke somethin', but hey…that's life. You coulda broke something just putzing around and helping her out here."

"Pfft, yeah…you gonna tell her that?" I asked, brows raised. "I know taking a little break while my arm heals isn't the worst thing in the world…I'm just hoping she's going to give us another chance to get out there."

Bobby sipped his beer slowly. "She will, kiddo, don't you worry. You focus on here and now, on getting yourself better. Everything else will work itself out. She knows you two are happiest doing this kind of stuff. It'll just take her some time to really be okay with it. And hey…those boys coming by for a visit has been good for her."

Bobby looked over his shoulder, to where Mom was sitting at a table with Sam and Dean. I'd learned a lot in the past week, namely that their father, John, had been close with Dad before he'd passed. Mom had found out when the boys arrived that their father had been missing a few weeks, and they had been travelling across the country slowly - working what jobs they could - until they found him. They had been on their way to Nebraska, to _Harvelle's_ specifically to see Mom, when they'd caught wind of the hunt in Colorado.

I watched over my shoulder as Dean unleashed his beautiful smile on her, then leaned a little closer to her as they spoke. I couldn't hear their words, but I smiled to myself, looking away just as Dean's eyes left Mom's and connected with mine.

"Haven't seen those boys in years," Bobby said, drawing my attention back to him, "good kids, though." I met Bobby's gaze, knowing he'd seen my slight distraction. "He's one of the best ones," he assured, "great guy."

My cheeks warmed instantly. "He seems like it."

Bobby chuckled quietly and stood, giving me a small cheers with his glass before he left. I nibbled on what was left of the pie, chatting with Ash while he worked behind the bar. When we were home, typically I was the one who helped Mom out behind the bar, but with my busted arm, the burden had fallen to Ash. It wasn't his favourite thing in the world to do, but he was doing it as a kindness to me. He felt somehow responsible for what had happened…even though I had assured him a thousand times it had been nobody's fault but my own.

"What did Singer have to say?" Ash asked, putting away some of the glassware.

I pushed my plate away, full. "Oh just asked how I was doing," I replied with a shrug.

"Feeling better though?" Ash leaned against the bar, offering me a sad smile.

"Ash, I feel great," I said in assurance, "fabulous, even. Stop this. It wasn't your fault. To be honest, if it wasn't for you, I don't think I would have seen him coming. Might have become his next meal."

Ash pursed his lips, likely ready to defend his reasons again, but ended up giving me a goofy grin. "Can you imagine the world of hurt Mom would have brought down on me if I'd let you get eaten?" He shook his head. "The broken bone works for me."

I snorted. "Works for me, too."

Ash looked over my shoulder then, slyly winking at me before he walked down the bar. Dean sat beside me when Ash left, warming me with his closeness, causing my skin to tingle. We chatted quietly, easily, talking about Mom and Ash and Sam, about the job we somehow both loved and yearned to do, about his father who was now missing. I was so engrossed in the way he spoke, how he held himself, the way he looked at me.

It was almost too easy, being around him, and I wasn't sure if it was exhilarating or scary.

I figured it was probably a bit of both.

Dean angled himself toward me after a while, reaching up to tuck a lock of my long, blonde hair over my shoulder. "I'd love to stay a little longer," he told me, the corners of his lips tightening in a frown, "but I'm not so sure we're gonna be able to. What with Dad gone."

I drew his hand down from my shoulder, holding it gently with mine. "You don't have to explain to me at all," I said softly, "family first. Absolutely. Not only that…he's missing for crying out loud. I'd be beside myself."

His eyes flicked back and forth between mine, admiration pouring through his gaze. "You're amazing," he said simply in response. "I just had to say it once. I hope you know that."

My entire body was happy, buzzing, every nerve responding to the sincerity in his deep, beautiful voice…

His closeness…

His eyes…

His lips…

"I believe it when you say it," I practically whispered, barely able to find my voice.

Dean leaned closer still, lightly touching his lips to mine. They were soft and warm, accompanied by the light stubble on his jaw as it roughly brushed my chin. I sunk into him, tucking my hand into his jacket to wrap my fingers around the fabric of his shirt. I pulled him against me, deepening the kiss, feeling Dean's response in the way he drew me further into him.

After a beautiful, blissful minute, Dean drew back the tiniest bit, murmuring, "I wish we didn't have to go. Cause I have to tell you, it's not every day a beautiful woman just…falls into my lap. I mean sure…I get the odd severed head or two, maybe a few fingers, but you?" He winked cutely, his lips only an inch from mine, "I'm happy to know there's still beauty out there in that ugly world."

My cheeks burned, but my eyes were locked with his. "And it's not every day I trip and fall into the arms of a cute guy," I flirted back, "it's usually a puddle of blood or a bag of bones. You know…something really tasty."

Dean laughed, leaning forward to kiss me again. Softly…sweetly. He pulled back much too soon, offering me a sad smile, and stood.

"Care to see us off?" he asked. "I'm not too sure when we're gonna be back. I'm hoping it won't be too crazy finding my dad, and…you know, if you're ever out and about and you guys wanna come help, Sammy and I won't complain. If you're good for a bit of a drive, that is."

I smirked. "Absolutely. And driving?" I waved my hand nonchalantly. "Ash and I are experts at rocking it out in the car. We'd kick your asses in a round of car karaoke any day of the week."

Dean raised his eyebrows, chuckling. "Alright, little lady, you have yourself a deal."

.

.

A little while later, Mom, Ash, Bobby, and I waved goodbye to Sam and Dean as they took off for South Dakota, heading to a cabin Bobby had open to hunters in Sioux Falls. I was keeping my fingers crossed their father would be there when they arrived, or would perhaps turn up along the way.

Family was extremely important to me - as it was to both Sam and Dean it seemed - and I didn't envy the sinking feeling likely plaguing them right now. I had been young when he'd passed, but I still missed Dad, and I could quite literally not imagine my life without Mom or Ash.

I'd be devastated if one of them had suddenly vanished without a trace.

"It was damn good to see those boys," Mom commented once their shiny black Impala - apparently Dean's pride and joy - had disappeared from view. "It's been a long time."

I leaned into her for a side hug, resting my head on her shoulder. "They seem great, Mom, truly. I'm sure their father is the same. I hope they find him."

I could feel Mom as she nodded. "John is a wonderful man," she agreed, "and resilient. It's tough to hear he's missing, but I have faith he'll turn up. And with those boys on the case, he's got the best rescue team out there."

Mom glanced down at me, then lightly kissed my temple.

"It's a tough business to work in, Jo. Especially as a woman. And the reality is, it's even tougher sometimes to meet someone. But Dean?" She squeezed my arm lightly, looking back out over the parking lot. It was dusk, casting the most breathtaking glow over the rolling fields and dirt road in front of us. "Now that is one man you won't find every day, baby girl. Not your average Joe, I can tell you that."

I smiled, focusing on nothing in particular in the distance, but it faded quickly with the thoughts swimming around in my head. Dean and I had said goodbye quietly, with a hug that didn't seem to last long enough and a lingering kiss on the cheek. We'd exchanged numbers, acting like goofy, awkward teenagers as we took each other's phones to input our digits.

And afterward, he'd given me the most breathtaking smile I'd seen grace his face. It made my heart sad to see him leave.

"There's just…so much that could happen," I said eventually, dismal. "Ash and I have our own thing going on, Dean has his. There's a lot of travel." My brows knit together, wondering if there was a way to make _anything_ work. Friends…boyfriend…hell, having a pet would be tough once Ash and I got really into hunting. "I just don't see it working out that far down the road, I guess."

Mom took a small step away, gently holding my shoulders. "Then don't try to look that far, baby girl," she reasoned, "look at now. Focus on you. Focus on Ash. Do what makes you happy in the moment. Whatever happens…it's going to happen. Try not to talk yourself out of something just because you think it won't work out down the road." She gave me the most loving smile. "Down the road will still be there, darlin', I promise. You'll get there when you're ready."

I embraced her eagerly, watching over her shoulder as the lights of the Impala glowed in the distance.

I'd get there eventually.

Someday.

THE END

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A/N: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read! And pop on over to the C2 (link above) to see all of the other amazing stories that have been entered in this awesome exchange!


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